


If My Heart Was A Garden

by Angleterre97



Series: Rogue One Flower Shop AU [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-20 22:53:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9519557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angleterre97/pseuds/Angleterre97
Summary: Baze Malbus is the last person one might think would run a flower shop, but he couldn't be happier with his life. One day though, a stranger with grey eyes, quick wit, and a glowing smile walks into his store and suddenly his life might not be as complete as he had thought.





	1. Chapter 1

Those who frequented the Malbus Meadows flower shop hardly batted an eye at the man behind the counter. Those who had never stepped foot through the door before though, they were in for quite a shock. Because, really, what does one expect to see when going to a flower shop? Flowers for sure yes, and perhaps a sweet old person tending to the blossoms, a young lady who had a passion for nature and beauty watering the plants, maybe even a man people today would classify as a hipster explaining how to tend to a succulent no one had ever heard of before. Nowhere among these possibilities is listed a tall, burly, disgruntled, shaggy-haired man with a disposition that one would assume would wilt the very flowers he sold. 

Baze Malbus had always been a contradictory man. He liked to cook, and to kill….game animals, so that is to say, he liked to hunt. He also had an affinity for flowers which really did clash with his musical tastes. But lo and behold, who knew that lavender grew to be most fragrant when played the complete works of Mastodon? Baze knew. Baze knew because he grew the best lavender in the entire city. 

One would think that a life driven by such polar opposite interests would be a life of confusion and chaos, and it could be, but only if things became unbalanced. This though, was a rare occurrence as the man had learned over the years how to live a perfectly balanced life. A peculiar life to others, but balanced to him. 

That was, of course, until a blind man walked into his shop on a windy, rainy, miserable afternoon.

The bell chimed, signaling Baze that a customer had entered, and he pulled his head up from the arrangement he was working on to see who it was. On a stormy day like it was, he wasn’t really expecting customers. He was pleased of course to have one, but it was a man he had never seen before and inwardly groaned because he was probably a lost tourist, and social interaction with tourists was like pulling teeth to him.

“Looking for something in particular sir?” He asked, going back to his bouquet. The stranger’s back was to him, instead facing a display. 

“Looking? Not really. You’re shop smells lovely, do you sell flowers?”

Baze paused as he put the finishing touches on the arrangement and looked over to the man who had not yet moved. Sell flowers? Sell flowers?

“Occasionally.” He said. Was this a joke? It hadn’t sounded like sarcasm. But then the stranger turned to face him and Baze was ready to throw himself in front of his own, fully in motion delivery truck. 

“Only occasionally? Don’t be so modest. It smells like my grandmother’s garden in here, and I’ll have you know there were probably more flowers in that garden than there were people in the town.”  
Baze was about to open his mouth to apologize but was promptly told not to.

“I hear it enough,” The stranger said, and then grinned. “I know you are embarrassed and sorry. Apology accepted, now what kind of plant was I just infront of Mr…?”

“...Baze...Malbus. I’m Baze Malbus.” And he was also quite taken aback. He had never been a man of many words to begin with, but he was rarely left speechless. This man was blind, quick witted, had a big toothy smile and Baze was, well, he just wasn’t prepared for all those things on a slow day.

“And you’re standing by some African Violets.”

“A houseplant or last ditch Valentines day flower?”

Baze raised an eyebrow but quickly composed himself, as his customer could not see his amusement. Though, he thought he could perhaps sense it anyways as the man smiled again.

“Houseplants, easily kept.”

“May I touch them?”

“Gently, yes.”

The stranger slowly reached out until his fingers reached the flower. He ran his thumb over the delicate petals and smiled at what he found. He asked more questions about the plant, Baze answered them. Finally after what felt like an hour of idle chatter about Violets (though really, it was more like twelve minutes) the sound of rain pounding against the window began to diminish, and the stranger took it as his chance to make a dash towards home. 

Baze was sad to see him go, but, he told himself, only because it was such a slow day.

“My name is Chirrut by the way, I moved into the neighborhood last week. I’ll have to stop by again to get some flowers to freshen up my home.” He leaned in and whispered, as if it were a scandalous bit of gossip, “My neighbor smokes like a chimney, I need some plants to clear the air.” 

With that Chirrut grabbed up a staff he had set by the door, waved goodbye, and exited the as shop a ray of sun broke through the clouds. It shined bright on the man as he walked away past the display window and as Baze watched him go he couldn’t help but think how a flower crown would make the man he had just met even more radiant.


	2. Chapter 2

The next time Chirrut entered through the doors of Malbus Meadows it was roughly a week after the first encounter with the rain and the violets. On this day, unlike that one, the sky was moderately clear, the streets were bustling, and the flower shop was less deserted than it was before. There was an elderly couple by the window, they were looking for a bouquet for their granddaughter’s graduation, and a young man towards the back who had accidentally forgotten his mother’s birthday three days prior. The blind man smiled as he heard these conversations and made his way over to the front counter. Baze did not notice him until he had sent the anxious young man on his way.

“What did you send him with?” He asked as Baze put the money in the till. The poor lad had run off without even taking his change. Chirrut heard the rustle of money being shoved into the tip jar.

“Carnations.” 

“Ah yes, an apology flower, seems fitting.” The man grinned, tapping his staff against the counter. “ But you know, you should have sent him with some Hyacinth too, just to drive home his groveling for forgiveness.” 

Baze stared at the man’s sly grin, astonished. 

“You know flowers.”

“I know what I know.” 

Baze was about to press further because, well, not every day did a person walk into his store and understand plant symbolism, but just as he opened his mouth the door to the back room burst open like a pirate’s cannon. 

“Three orders, one across town, I should be back in about an-”

“Ahem, Hello there young lady.”

Jyn stopped in her tracks while adjusting her scarf, as the man her boss was talking to addressed her. Inwardly Baze groaned.

“Oh, hello.” She looked at the man then to her boss and back again, her eyes widening. “You must be Chirrut!”

“Why would you guess that my dear?”

“Oh, well Mr. Malbus has been talking about you all week and-”

Internally Baze was screaming.

“Chirrut, this is Jyn, she’s my delivery girl, who should be going to do her deliveries. Now.”

If there was one advantage to Chirrut being blind, it was that he could not see how red Baze had become in such a short span of time.

The girl smiled, knowing full well how conniving she was being, and said she would be back shortly. 

Baze told her to take her time.

Meanwhile, the older couple had finally decided on the flowers they would give to their granddaughter at her graduation and Chirrut moved aside to let them to the register to pay. Shortly after they had left Baze went over to the stereo and turned it up a couple of notches. The soothing sounds of Megadeth soon filled the quaint and cozy shop. 

“Did I smell right? You slipped some lavender into that bouquet didn’t you?” 

Baze relaxed a little bit inside and he combed some stray hairs out of his face and back up into his pony tail, glad that Chirrut wasn’t going to press what Jyn had said. At least not at that time. It wasn’t like he had talked about the incredibly attractive, funny, curious blind man to his staff ad nauseum. Hell, he didn’t talk that much in general. Perhaps that’s why Jyn took notice in the first place. Chirrut was worthwhile to talk about.

“I grow it myself, it’s kind of my thing, I guess.” Then realizing his rudeness, “Can i help you find or pick out something?”

Chirrut grinned like a cat. “ And here I thought you would never ask.”

/OOO/

When Jyn arrived back at the shop she was delighted to find that Baze was not furious with her, at least not at that moment. No when she arrived back she found the two older men leaned on either side of the counter deep into a conversations about the healing properties of Corn flowers.

“Jyn my dear, welcome back.” Chirrut called as she walked back to the storeroom to hang her coat. She was astonished, she hadn’t even announced it was her coming into the shop. 

“I’ve got one more job for you today little sister.” Baze said as she emerged. She had a scowl on her face, one that said ‘really? I just took off my coat.’

“Take these up to Mr. Imwe’s apartment.” He gestured to a box of small assorted houseplants and a little flower arrangement sitting on the other end of the counter. “It’s just across the street.”  
“I could handle it myself but I never turn down good company.” Chirrut chimed in, leaning on his staff. Jyn looked to Baze. He was staring. She’d probably save that for later use. 

As Jun gathered up the plants the two men made their way out the door where Baze bid Chirrut a goodbye for the day. Suddenly, the blind man seized him by the arm. He pulled him in close and mock whispered in his ear, as he had before, like a teenage girl talking in secret.

“You but a few sprigs of lavender in there for me, didn’t you?”

Baze huffed, sounding annoyed though in truth quite amused.

“What do you think?”

If it meant getting to see him and his smile again,Baze would have probably given him every last lavender plant he had ever grown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot, second chapter! Rolling right along. Probably gonna introduce Bodhi in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Another a few weeks, something new and out of the ordinary occurred at Malbus Meadows. It started off as any normal Wednesday afternoon. Chirrut arrived in the shop around twelve-thirty as he had the week before and the week before that. Baze was almost starting to expect the man to waltz through the door on Wednesdays. Expecting, he told himself, not anticipating. Though he suspected Jyn knew better, the nosey little thing. He often regretted telling her things, but never seemed to stop confiding little tidbits here and there. It’s not like the three goldfish in his apartment upstairs cared to listen to his woes.

Nevertheless, this day’s visit was different. It started much the same as any other, Baze turning his head towards the door when the bell chimed, signaling an arrival, and saying hello or good afternoon to the blind man as he set his staff against the door. Baze often insisted that he could use it in the shop so as not to trip but Chirrut always refused saying, with a grin, ‘What need am I for it when I have you as my guide?’

It was surely one of the kindest things Baze had ever heard directed at himself. The first time he heard it, he had little idea on how to respond. He settled on a grunt of acknowledgment.

Usually this lead to small talk, like ‘Anything nice in the new shipment?’ or ‘My grandmother use to grow such and such a flower, do you have it? It always smelled so nice.’ But not today.

“Is Jyn here?” Chirrut asked as he was guided to the front counter. 

“She’s out on a run.” He responded. “You are such a gossip with her.”

And he really was. Whenever he caught her on the way in or out of the shop she would stop and gab with him at length. Because her deliveries took her all over, Jyn heard little bits of this and that, which Chirrut actively listened to. Baze was not sure who was humoring who, and suspected when he retreated to the back they talked about him as well.

“When will she be back?” The man asked. His hands drummed along the counter top, and Baze could tell he was rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet. All in all he looked like a kid anxious to tell a secret or go off to play. 

“Soon.” Baze responded. The stereo crooned out the sweet ballads of Black Sabbath softly in the background. Chirrut nodded.

From these visits Baze had learned many things about his neighbor across the street. He hailed from Hong Kong but had moved to New York for a change of pace.

‘New York bustles,’ He had said, ‘But at least you have room to bustle here.’

On Mondays, Fridays and Sundays he taught yoga in a studio a block away, and on Tuesdays and Saturdays taught young kids the basics of martial arts.   
‘And I know what you are going to say, and no, you do not need to see to kick somebody’s ass.’

That thought amused the florist to no end. 

Not too long after his arriving did Jyn returned from a monstrous delivery. She was ready to give her boss the what-for about the incredibly rude customer she had the pleasure of dealing with, but stopped short of exploding when she saw Chirrut standing at the counter. 

“You didn’t punch the customer again did you little sister? Please tell me you didn’t.” The last time he had seen that look in Jyn’s eyes it was followed swiftly by a police officer barging through his door. 

“No...but I wanted to.” 

“I have been waiting for you.” Chirrut said, turning to where her voice was heard. He could not see the expression she wore, but something told Baze and Jyn alike that he probably wouldn’t be phased by it anyways. He held out his hand in which he held a set of keys.

“Use the gold one and run up to my apartment. Bring down the pans on the stove.” He instructed. “Pretty please.” 

As much as Jyn wanted nothing more than to go and sleep for ten hours she did as she was asked because she liked Chirrut, and had an inkling as to what was going on. She had let slip out the last time they had talked that Baze was very bad about bringing a lunch, and even though he lived just above the shop he never bothered to go and get food. She suspected he hated to grocery shop and therefore just didn’t have much to spare. 

She returned shortly with a large pan filled with stirfry and another of rice. Chirrut smiled happily as Jyn set them on the counter and went to the back to retrieve bowls and forks from the small kitchenette area for employees. 

Baze was touched, and confused.

“I gossip too much.” Chirrut said smugly, taking note of the silence. Baze huffed a laugh and set aside the flowers he was arranging to make room for the dishes.

From the back Jyn returned with said dishes and an extra body in tow. This was Bodhi Rook, an exhausted science major who Jyn had recruited from school to do all of the books and paperwork for the shop. Baze was good at many things, but accounting was not one of them. Bodhi was an elusive creature most days, but at the prospect of food he willing emerged into the front of the store. 

“You give off stress and frustration.” Chirrut told him after a few minutes of introductory conversation. “Come to my yoga class on Friday.”

He was about to politely decline, as he had studying to do, but Jyn’s elbow in his rib changed his tune. 

“I’ll be there.” He wheezed out. Chirrut looked pleased as pie. 

While the two older men ate and talked, Jyn pulled her friend away to the back. 

“I think you punctured a lung.” Bodhi grumbled, rubbing at his side. “Do you know how stupid I’ll look doing yoga? I can barely walk up stairs!”

“You can’t say no to that guy.” She said matter-of factly.

“Maybe you can’t.”

“You can’t cause that’s the guy I’ve been telling you about.”

Bodhi looked at her a moment and then, as if a lightbulb had appeared above his head he said in astonishment, “That’s the guy Mr. Malbus has a crush on?”

Jyn nodded.

Bodhi thought on it for a second. “Not quite what I was expecting.”

“What kind of person were you expecting?” Jyn asked, crossing her arms. She quite liked Chirrut thank you very much.

Bodhi thought again and shrugged. 

“I don’t know, I can’t really picture him with anyone, y’know? He just doesn’t seem like the settle down or even fall in love type.”

“Well he did, and I’m not letting you ruin it by tucking tail on a couple of yoga lessons.”

Of course the science major wanted to argue, because none of this was really either of their business, but Jyn had already walked away, over to the door leading to the storefront and was staring out the small window. 

Beyond it Baze could be seen laughing and smiling at something Chirrut had said and the blind man leaned over the counter smiling as well. 

Bodhi watched on over Jyn’s shoulder and had to admit that he had never seen their boss look so happy in all the time he had known him. Then he sighed, rubbed at his side again, which he knew would be sore and probably bruised, and took out his phone too clear a space on his Friday calendar for yoga.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really do chapter stories because I'm really bad about updating and keeping the motivation and inspiration going, but I'm really gonna try on this one! I don't foresee this being a terribly long series, but I hope you all like it!


End file.
